Defeated Brazilian presidential candidate Flávio Bolsonaro arrived in Miami with his family on Wednesday, 28 October, after leaving Brazil following an election in which President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva was reported to have secured victory.
Bolsonaro's arrival in Florida came approximately two days after he refused to acknowledge Lula's election win and threatened to challenge the result, according to a report carried by the Associated Press.
The 45-year-old senator travelled with his wife, Fernanda Antunes Figueira Bolsonaro, and their daughters, Carolina and Luiza, passing through Argentina and Ecuador before reaching the United States.
His departure has drawn attention to legal proceedings in Brazil and raised questions about the circumstances under which he was able to travel internationally.
According to the report, Brazil's Supreme Court had ordered Bolsonaro to surrender his ordinary and diplomatic passports by midday Tuesday, two days after his electoral defeat.
It was not immediately clear whether he had complied with that order before leaving the country.
Political allies said late Tuesday that Bolsonaro also possessed an Italian passport. The report did not establish whether he used that document during his journey.
Argentina's immigration authorities confirmed that Bolsonaro and his family entered the country at approximately 10:50 p.m. on Tuesday through the Tancredo Neves International Bridge, which connects Brazil with Argentina's northeastern Misiones province.
The authorities said all four travellers held valid travel documents and that no legal restrictions prevented them from entering Argentina.
After completing immigration procedures, the family boarded a private aircraft operated by Baires Fly S.A. at approximately 11:30 p.m., according to the Argentine authorities.
The flight plan listed Guayaquil, Ecuador, as the aircraft's next destination.
The family subsequently arrived at Miami International Airport on Wednesday.
The report said the United States had announced on Monday that it would grant visas to Bolsonaro and his family.
Bolsonaro is an ally of US President Donald Trump and had visited the White House in May, according to the source.
The senator is also reportedly under investigation by Brazil's Supreme Court in cases involving allegations of corruption, money laundering and tax evasion. Those allegations do not establish wrongdoing, and the report did not provide details of any charges or convictions.
The episode recalls the actions of Bolsonaro's father, former Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro, who travelled to Florida after losing the 2022 presidential election to Lula. He returned to Brazil approximately three months later.
The latest departure could also complicate relations between Brazil and Argentina.
Argentine President Javier Milei, a political ally of Trump, had travelled to Brazil to support Flávio Bolsonaro's election campaign, according to the report.
Argentina's immigration authorities maintained that the family had met the legal requirements for entry and onward travel.
The immediate questions concern Bolsonaro's legal position in Brazil, whether the passport order was enforced and how the Brazilian government will respond to his departure.
